Bottle carrier



Jan 23, 1951 M. G. HALL ETAL 2,539,304

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed May 6, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan; 23, 1.951

Filed May 6 1948 BOTTLE yCARRIER M. G. HALL ETAL 4 `i'luaets-Sheet 2 [n1/anfora' Jan. 23, 1951 M, G. HALL Er AL 2,539,304

BOTTLE CARRIER Filed May 6, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 44 28A 2 30A) A] l22411 ,ZIA 3A) l29,1 r27A Jan. 23, 1951 M, G, HALL ETAL 2,539,304

` BOTTLE CARRIER Filed may s, 194e 4 sheets-sheet 4 Patented Jan. 23, 1951 BOTTLE CARRIER Maynard G. Hall, Rutherford, and Michael H. Kowal, Clifton, N. J., assignors to Empire Box Corporation, Garfield, N. J., a corporation of of Delaware Application May 6, 1948, Serial No. 25,413

Claims. (Cl. 229-28) This invention relates to bottle carriers and particularly to bottle carriers made from cardboard or like material.

Bottle carriers of the general kind to which this invention relates are conventionally made from carboard or like sheet material and are preferably made so as to be collapsible so that such bottle carriers may be originally manufactured and shipped in a flat form and may be erected at the time when bottles are to be loaded into such carriers. In such bottle carriers it is desirable that the dimensions of the bottle carrier be minimized so as to effect an economy of material, and in plan-form it is essential that these bottle carriers occupy but little greater area than the bottles themselves so that such carriers may be placed in ordinary bottle cases of the kind conventionally used in the trade. In the use of such carriers it is desirable that they be retained in their erected form merely by placing such carriers in position in the cases, since it is generally considered to be desirable to load such bottle carriers while they are in position in such cases and to accomplish this with the use of conventional case-loading machinery.

It is an important object of the present invention to afford a bottle carrier of the aforesaid character that is extremely simple in form and which may be readily and easily erected. More particularly, it is an object of this invention to afford such a bottle carrier having separating partitions between all of the bottles, and

so arranged that the bottle carrier may be constructed with the minimum number of folding and gluing operations. Another object of the present invention is to provide a bottle carrier wherein the end panels project from opposite ends of the folded or colapsed carrier so as to simplify the erecting operation, and to enable this erecting operation to be accomplished by simple application of forces to the opposite ends of the projecting end panels, and a related object is to enable such a bottle carrier to embody a separating panel which in the erected carrier is disposed between the two central bottle receiving compartments or spaces. A related ob- .Ject is to enable this to be accomplished in such principles thereof and what we now consider to be the best mode in which we have contemplated applying those principles. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principles may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a bottle carrier embodying the features of the invention:

Fig. 2 is a side view of the bottle carrier showing bottles in dotted outline as they would be disposed in the carrier;

Fig. 3 is anY end view;

Fig. 4 is a face view of the blank used in making the carrier of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are views on a reduced scale and showing the successive steps in the folding and gluing of the carrier;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the carton in its collapsed form;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the carrier in a partially erected relation;

Fig. 10 is an end view of the carrier in the partially erected condition of Fig. 9; and Fig. l1 is a plan view of the fully erected carrier.

For purposes of disclosure the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a bottle carrier 20 made from cardboard or like material and having a separately formed metallic handle H associated therewith, this handle being of the general construction illustrated in the copending applicationof Maynard G. Hall, Serial No. 25,414, filed May 6, 1948, now Patent No. 2,508,943. Reference may be had to such copending application for details of the form and construction of the handle H.

The bottle carrier 20 embodies a pair of side walls 2IA\and 2IB that are connected at opposite ends by end walls 22 and 23, and the lower edges of the side walls ZIA and 2IB are connected by a bottom wall that includes panels 24A and 24B. The space within the bottle carrier is divided into six square compartments, each adapted to snugly receive a bottle such as the bottles B shown in dotted outline in Figs. 2 and 3, and such compartments 'are arranged in two rows of three compartments each disposed on opposite sides of a central division wall 25 that is located midway between the two side walls 2|A and 21B. A 0n opposite sides of the central 1 division wall 25, transverse partitions are afforded to complete the sub-division of the space within the carrier, and such partition walls are identified as panes 28A and 26B adjacent to the end wall 22 and panels 21A and 21B adjacent to the end wall 23. It will be observed in Fig. 1 of the drawings that the central division wall 25 is made up in three sections, the section adjacent to the end wall 22 being afforded by a pair of opposed panels 28A and 28B; the section that is adjacent to the end wall 23 being formed by panels 29A and 29B, while the intermediate section of the central partition wall is afforded by panels 30A and 30B. It will also be observed that the end wall 22 is afforded by a pair of similar panels 22A and 22B, while the end wall 23 is formed by similar panels 23A and 23B. The central partition panels 28A and 28B have a vertical opening or slot 3| formed therein to receive the hook-shaped lower portion of one side of the handle H, anda similar slot 3i that is shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings is afforded in the panels 29A and 29B to receive the other connecting portion of the handle H.

In the construction of'the bottle carrier of Figs. 1 to 3, a cardboard blank is utilized in the form shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. In this blank it will be noted that the two bottom panels 'IIA and 24B are joined along a weakened central fold line 35, and along this fold line, a pair of drainage and ventilating openings 38 are profrided for purposes well understood in the art. n the other side edge of the bottom panel 24A, the lower edge of the side wall 2 IA is connected along a weakened fold line 31A. At the left end of the side wall 2|A, one vertical edge of the end panel 22A is connected along a weakened fold line 38A, the other edge of the end panel 22A being connected along a fold line 39A to one edge of the separating panel 28A; The other edge of the panel 28A is defined in part' by a weakened fold line A that extends downwardly from the top edge of the panel 28A to a point that is spaced a substantial distance from the lower edge oi' the panel 28A. From the lower end of the fold line AOA, an arcuate slit 4IA is extended to the left and upwardly as shown in Fig. 4 so as to merge with a vertical slit 42A that extends to the upper edge of the panel 30A, it being observed that this arrangement defines a glue flap 44A that is in effect cut from the material of the panel 30A. AThis glue flap 44A extends only part way to the bottom of the panel I 30A and may be folded or bent along the fold line 40A independently of the panel 30A, and through this arrangement the panel 35A may be allowed to remain on the same plane with the panel 28A even though the glue flap MA is bent along the fold line 40A. In this connection it should be observed that the portin of the panel 30A that is disposed below the lower end of the glue flap A is formed in a rigid and uncreased relationship with respect to the panel 28A.

At the other or right-hand end of the side y wall 2IA as viewed in Fig. 4, one edge of the end panel 23A is joined along a weakened fold line 45A, the other edge of this end panel 23A being connected along a weakened fold line 46A to one edge of the panel 29A. At the other edge of the panel 29A the panel 21A is joined along ar fold line 35, the various elements of the blank are formed and related in the same manner, but in a reverse relationship, and corresponding fold lines and other elements are identified by the same reference characters with the suiilx B in each instance. Thus, the bottom panel 24B is connected to the lower edge of the side wall 2 iB by a weakened fold line 31B. At the left end of the side wall 2IB a weakened fold line 38B joins the side wall to one edge of the end panel 22B. At its otheredge, the end panel 22B is connected along a-fold line 39B to one edge oi the panel 28B, the other edge of this panel 28B being defined in part by a weakened fold line 40B. Slits AIB and 42B formed in the panel 30B, cooperate with the weakened fold line 40B to define a glue ap 44B.

At the other end of the side wall 2IB, the end panel 23B is joined along a weakened fold line 45B, and the other edge of this end panel 23B is connected along a fold line 46B to one edge o the panel 29B. At the other edge of the panel 29B, the panel 21B is connected along a weakened fold line 41B, and a weakened fold line 5iB connects the other edge of the panel 21B with one edge of a glue panel 50B, the other edge of which is joined along `a weakened fold line 52B to one edge of the panel 26B.

When the blank shown in Fig. 4 is to be folded and glued into the desired collapsed carrier, the glue panels 50A and 50B have glue applied to what may be termed their upper surfaces in glue areas, or panels GI, which as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, cover substantially the entire face of each of these panels. The first folding operation is then performed, and in this folding operation the blank is folded along the aligned fold lines 46A and 46B so as to dispose the two glue panels 50A and 50B in what may be termed central positions on the upper faces of the walls 2IA and 2IB. The glue flaps 44A and 44B then have glue applied thereto as indicated at G2, and the second folding operation is performed by folding the blank along the aligned fold lines 39A and 39B. This serves to put the glue iiaps in position over the marginal portions of the panels 26A and 26B so as to secure these parts together. The blank is then in the form illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, and glue is then applied to the exposed faces of the panels 28A, 29A and 33A, as indicated at G3 in Fig. 6. This glue applying' operation is so performed that substantially the entire face areas of these three panels are covered with glue as indicated in Fig. 6. The third and last folding operation is then performed by folding the blank along the central longitudinal fold line 35 of the bottom wall, thereby to dispose the panels 28B and 30B against the glue covered faces of the panels 28A and 30A, while the panel 29B is put in position in opposed relation against the glued face of panel 29A. The blank is thus completely formed into the collapsed bottle carrier shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings.

With the bottle carrier as thus afforded, it will be observed 'that the carrier may be readily erected by application of opposed endwise forces to the extended ends of the end panels of the carrier, and such erecting forces tend to separate the side Walls 2 IA and 2IB of the carrier and to move the parts to and through the relationship shown in Figs. A9 and 10 oi' the drawings. When this erectingoperation takes place, it will be observed that the panel 2BA is parallel at all times 1,39 @he end panel 22A, while the partition wall 21A is perpendicular at all times to the end panel 23A, and this same relationship prevails in the other side of the carrier. The pivotal movement of the panels 26A and 26B is permitted by reason of the action of the glue iiaps A and 44B, which bend out of the plane of the panels 30A and 30B as will be evident in Fig. 9. 'I'he uncreased and rigid connection of the panels 30A and 30B with the panels 28A and 28B, however, cause these panels to remain in the planes of the panels 28A and 28B. Hence, as the erecting operation progresses, the connected panels 30A and 30B move into the position shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings,l wherein they serve as a central partition wall between the two central bottle compartments.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention enables bottle carriers to be formed and constructed with the minimum of material and with the minimum of forming and gluing operations. Moreover, it will be evident that bottle carriers made under and in accordance with the present invention may be erected through the'application of relatively small forces to the extended end edges of the end walls, and in its erected form the bottle carrier has bottle receiving compartments deiined by the narrow upper edges of the various side, end and partition walls so as to facilitate loading of the carrier.

Thus, while we have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification and we therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail ourselves of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims:

We claim:

l. In a collapsible bottle carrier made from a one-piece cardboard blank, and comprising, when in its collapsed relation, a pair of elongated bottom panels disposed in face to face relation and ioined at one edge along a longitudinal fold line, a pair of side walls joined along fold lines to the opposite edges of the respective bottom panels, a pair of end panels joined along fold lines to the respective side Walls at one end thereof and extended endwise in substantially the planes of the side walls to which they are joined, a first pair of central partition panels joined along fold lines to the outer edges of said pair of end panels and extended between said pair of end panels, said rst pair of central partition panels being secured together in face to face relation, a pair of intermediate central partition panels extended fromthe other edges of said pair of central partition panels in a rigid and uncreased relationship, glue aps formed from portions of said intermediate central partition panels and joined to said first pair of central partition panels along vertical fold lines, a second pair of end panels joined along fold lines to the other ends of the respective side walls and extended substantially in the planes of said side walls, a second pair of central partition panels joined along vertical fold lines to the other edges of said second pair of end panels and extended tive other edges of said iirst pair of transverse partition panels and secured to said side walls so as to cover the central one-third portions oi' said side walls, and a second pair of transverse partition panels connected along fold lines to the other vertical edges of the respective glue panels, said second pair of transverse partition panels being secured by border portions along their edges to the respective glue panels so as to connect these second transverse partition panels to said iirst pair of central partition panels along vertical fold lines, said carrier being adapted for erection by opposed endwise pressureJ applied to v the extended end panels at opposite ends, and

into the space between said second pair of end said intermediate central partition panels being maintained in alignment with the other central partition panels by said rigid and uncreased relationship of such intermediate central partition panels 'with respect to said first pair oi' central partition panels.

2. In a collapsible bottle carrier made from a one-piece cardboard'blank, and comprising, when in its collapsed relation, a pair of elongated bottom panels disposed in face to face relation and joined at one edge along a longitudinal fold line, a pair of side walls joined along fold lines to the opposite edges of the respective bottom panels, iirst and second pairs of end panels joined along fold lines to the opposite ends of the respective side walls and extended endwise in substantially the planes of the side walls to which they are joined, iirst and second pairs of central partition panels joined along fold lines to the outer end edges of the respective pairs of end panels and extended between said pairs of end panels to which they are joined, the central partition panels of said pairs being secured together in face to face relation, a pair of intermediate central partition panels extended from the other edges of said rst pair of central partition panels in a rigid and uncreased relationship, glue ilaps formed from portions of said intermediate central partition panels and joined to said first pair of central partition panels along vertical fold lines, a iirst pair of transverse partition panels joined along vertical fold lines to the other edges of said second pair of central partition panels, glue panels connected along fold lines to the respective other edges of said iirst pair of transverse partition panels and secured to said side walls so as to cover the central one-third portions of said side walls, and a second pair oi' transverse partition panels connected along fold lines to the other vertical edges of the respective glue panels, said second pair of transverse partition panels being secured by border portions along their edges to the respective glue panels so as to connect these second transverse partition panels to said rst pair `of central partition panels along vertical fold lines, said carrier being adapted for erection by opposed endwise pressure applied to the extended end panels at opposite ends, and said intermediate central partition panels being maintained in alignment with the other central partition panels by said rigid and uncreased relationship of such intermediate central partition panels with respect to said iirst pair of central partition panels.

3. In a collapsible bottle carrier made from a one-piece cardboard blank, and comprising, when in its collapsed relation, a pair of elongated bottom panels disposed in face to face relation and joined at one edge along a longitudinal fold line, a pair of side walls joined along fold lines to the opposite edges of the respective bottom panels, first and second pairs of end panels joined along fold lines to the opposite ends of the respective side walls and extended endwise in substantially the planes of the side walls to which they are joined, rst and second pairs of central partition panels joined along fold lines to the outer edges of said pairs of end panels and extended between the pairs of end panels to which they are joined, said pairs of central partition panels being secured together in face to face relation, a pair of intermediate central partition panels extended 'from the other edges of ASaid lrst pair of central partition panels in a rigid and uncreased relationship, glue naps formed from portions of said intermediate central partition panels and joined to said first pair of central partition panels along vertical fold lines, said glue aps terminating a substantial distance above the lower edges of said intermediate central partition panels so that such panels have a rigid and uncreased connection with said rst pair of central partition panels near their lower edges, and transverse partition panels having connecting means joined thereto along fold lines and connected to said side walls to dispose said lastmentioned fold lines at the respective one-third points of said side walls, two of said transverse partition walls being joinedvat their other edges along fold lines to the other edges of said second pair of central partition panels, and the other r two transverse partition panels being glued at their other edges to said glue flaps.

4. In a collapsible bottle carrier made from a one-piece cardboard blank, and comprising, when in its collapsed relation, a pair of elongated bottom panels disposed in face to face relation and joined at one edge along a longitudinal fold line, a pair of side walls joined along ytold lines to the opposite edges of the respective bottom panels, first and second pairs of end panels joined along fold lines to the opposite ends of the respective side walls and extended endwise in substantially the planes of the side walls to which they are joined, rst and second pairs of central partition panels joined along fold lines to the outer edges of said pairs of end panels and extended between the pairs of end panels to which they are joined, said pairs of central partition panels being secured together in face to face relation, a pair of intermediate central partition panels extended from the other edges of said rst pair of central partition panels and connected thereto near their lower edges in a rigid and uncreased relationship, glue naps formed from upper border portions of said intermediate central partition panels and joined to said ilrlst pair of central partition panels along vertical fold lines, and transverse partition panels having connecting means joined thereto along fold lines and connected to said side walls so as to dispose said last-mentioned fold lines at the one-third points of said side walls, two of said transverse partition walls being joined at their other edges along fold lines to the other edges of said second pair of central partition panels, and the other two transverse partition panels being glued at their other edges to said glue aps.

5. In a collapsible bottle carrier made from a one-piece cardboard blank, and comprising, when in its collapsed relation, a pair of elongated bottom panels disposed in face to face relation and joined at one edge along a longitudinal fold line, a pair of side walls joined along fold lines to the opposite edges of the respective bottom panels, rst and second pairs of end panels joined along fold lines to the opposite ends of the respective side walls and extended endwise in substantially the planes of the side Walls to which they are joined, iirst and second pairs of central partition panels joined along fold lines to the outer edges of said pairs of end panels and extended between the pairs of end panels to which they are joined, said pairs of central partition panels being secured together in face to face relation, a pair of intermediate central partition panels extended from the other edges of said first pair of central partition panels in a rigid and uncreased relationship, glue flaps formed from portions of said intermediate central partition panels and joined to said rst pair of central partition panels along vertical fold lines, and transverse partition panels having connecting means joined thereto along fold lines'and connected to said side walls to dispose said last-mentioned fold lines of said side walls, two of said transverse partition walls being joined at ytheir other edges along fold lines to the other edges of said second pair of central partition panels, and the other two transverse partition panels being glued at theirother edges to said glue aps.

MAYNARD G. HALL. MICHAEL H. KOWAL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

